UPCOMING PUBLIC SEMINAR: "The Mekong: Law, Dams and Development [17 February 2016]

10:00 - 12:00, Room 105, Mahachulalongkorn Building 17th, Chulalongkorn University

Co-organized by Institute for Security and International Studies, Chulalongkorn University; Center for Social Development Studies, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University; The University of Sydney; and The University of New South Wales

The Mekong River is at a critical juncture.  Two dams are currently under construction and up to nine more are planned on the lower mainstream.   Many more dams have been built upstream in China and on tributaries in Vietnam, Thailand and Laos.  Meanwhile, dozens more are being built and planned on the river’s tributaries in Laos and Cambodia.  As debate continues to rage over the hydropower boom that will fundamentally change the river’s ecology and the livelihoods of those who depend on it, a key question arises: what is the place of law in governing river basin development?

Authors Ben Boer, Philip Hirsch and Natalia Scurrah (University of Sydney) will introduce the book, to be followed by a panel discussion and questions from the audience with responses from all five authors, including Fleur Johns (University of New South Wales) and Ben Saul (University of Sydney) .

Moderator:

Naruemon Thabchumpon (Chulalongkorn University)

Panelists:

Carl Middleton (Chulalongkorn University)

Jakkrit Sangkhamanee (Chulalongkorn University)

ChacritSitdhiwej (Thammasat University)

Apichai Sunchindah (Independent expert)

Kanokwan Manorom (Ubon Ratchathani University)

John Dore/Rachel Jolly (Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade)